Drug repurposing is a very important part of research and new drug development. Previously, this process always cost us a lot of time, where market use or structural studies helped us review potential new uses of a drug. But now we have AI with us, which not only reduces the time but also the cost compared to de novo drug discovery.
AI can identify new targets, predict drug–disease interactions, and even design molecules that are now entering clinical trials.
One of the first drugs to be developed through this method is baricitinib (Olumiant), a JAK1/2 inhibitor originally approved for rheumatoid arthritis. During COVID-19, AI-driven analysis identified its dual antiviral and anti-inflammatory potential. It was later strongly recommended by the World Health Organisation for severe COVID-19 due to its ability to reduce disease progression and mortality by modulating cytokine storms notably IL-6 mediated pathways.
This drug is currently under Phase III clinical trials.
What do you think, will it be a success? And can AI really be trusted to this extent in drug discovery?